Signs and Symptoms of Love Addiction

The symptoms of love addiction are largely focused around unhealthy dependency within relationships. These include, self-neglect and distorted thoughts, feelings and behaviour around love and fantasies and relationships. This means most love addicts fall in love very quickly but have a hard time coping with a long term relationship. Once the initial attraction fades and the honeymoon period is over, love addicts quickly lose interest and begin neglecting their relationship.

As a leading, private behavioural health clinic for the treatment of love addiction, Life Works is able to help you. We can answer any questions or concerns you may have, and help you find the right treatment.

Love addiction behaviours

When looking for a partner, initial attraction is the most important thing for you. If you are attracted to someone, you disregard any signs that he / she may not be good for you

Once you have bonded with someone, you find it impossible to let go

You constantly fantasize about love – even when you are not in a relationship. For example, the ideal partner you hope to meet, or a previous partner whom you once loved

The thought of never finding someone to love terrifies you

When you are in love, your fantasies distract you from important, everyday tasks

You know that you become very needy in a relationship – or very often smother your partner

You value love above anything else – it is the only thing you are really interested in

In previous relationships you were the only one in love

You have stayed in a relationship with someone who was abusive towards you

After a relationship has ended, you feel that your life is truly over - and on occasions you have contemplated suicide

When you are not in a relationship, you feel engulfed by loneliness and will often seek out another partner just to avoid this feeling

When you are in a relationship, you find it impossible to say no to your partner – for example, if he / she threatens to leave the relationship

You do whatever you can to please your partner – for example, denying or sacrificing your own needs and wants in the relationship

You become very jealous and possessive in relationships – for example, feeling compelled to check up on your partner

You have followed or stalked a new or previous partner

When you fall in love with someone, you will pursue them – even if they are in a relationship with someone else

Your constant pursuit of romantic relationships or the ideal partner mean that you do less of the things that were important to you - for example, seeing friends or family, going out or enjoying hobbies

Your relationships with family and friends tend to suffer when you are in a romantic relationship

Symptomatic denial

Denial is common and symptomatic of love addiction, so you may deny that you have a problem both to yourself and to others, through:

Minimising the impact of your love addiction on your health

Criticising those around you for making too much fuss about your relationship patterns

Concealing your love addiction from your friends and family

Placing the blame for your love addiction on other people or situations in your life, such as “I need to find someone because my life is becoming so stressful”